VA - 80s Groove 2 Sessions [2CD Set] (2006)

80s GROOVE 2 SESSIONS is 2CDs spanning the era’s rich variety of styles, from Gwen Guthrie and Cheryl Lynn’s party starters to electro anthems from Joyce Sims and Tyrone Brunson and the mellow soul of Lonnie Hill. A terrific era for dance music, which is still regularly referenced, sampled and plundered by the new soul generation.
Within the UK at least, the passing of time has led to ‘80s soul and boogie being pigeon-holed as the domain of the London suburban soulboy mafia, radio stations like Horizon and JFM, Canvey Island’s Goldmine and Caister weekenders. But for today’s fans of soulful music across the globe, the early to mid-‘80s especially is now an era as revered as it is for fans of new romantic or new wave pop bands. Like disco, there were great songs but, where disco’s heyday had created beautiful, lushly orchestrated soul symphonies, new technology now packed a fresh punch with sharp digital drum claps and bouncy synth lines. And forget Duran Duran and Japan – some of the enduring fashion images of the era came from the ‘80s groove. Remember Cameo’s Larry Blackmon strutting in his codpiece, Grace Jones’ flat top and Imagination’s penchant for camp gold lame togas?

The music itself played a vital role in dance music’s progression too. House music is often credited as a direct descendant of disco. In effect, disco was the Grandad and it was mid-‘80s boogie that created the early ‘garage’ blueprint. Listen to early 4x4 classics like Colonel Abrams’ ‘Music Is The Answer’ and Visual’s ‘Somehow, Somewhere’ and the essence of future soulful house styles from Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez and the rest is right there in the grooves. This was crucially a time when producers began to define the times as much as artists from Larry Levan’s spacious remixes to Alex Sadkin’s dubby Compass Point productions for Island Records and Kurtis Mantronik’s jittery electro beats, effortlessly matching hip hop with soul vocals.

So, for the second volume of ‘80s Groove Sessions’, we show why thirtysomethings still get all dewy-eyed over their ‘80s groove vinyl collections. You have here 2CDs spanning the era’s rich variety of styles, from Gwen Guthrie and Cheryl Lynn’s party starters to electro anthems from Joyce Sims and Tyrone Brunson and the mellow soul of Lonnie Hill. A terrific era for dance music which is still regularly referenced, sampled and plundered by the new soul generation.

CD 1

1. Grace Jones – Pull Up To The Bumper
The wild queen of Manhattan’s nightlife was already an underground icon before launching her singing career at Studio 54 in ‘77. Sharply re-styled by hubby Jean-Paul Goude in 1980, she hit commercial success with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell as they honed the unmistakeable Island Records sound with reggae legends Sly & Robbie.

2. Heatwave – Gangsters Of The Groove
Originally comprising US, Spanish and Czech musicians in their line-up, Heatwave made their mark touring the London gig circuit before band members suffered a series of tragedies during the ‘70s. ‘Gangsters…’ was the band’s swansong hit in ’81, a typically slick piece of disco-soul from the pen of Rod Temperton before his celebrated work with Michael Jackson.

3. Oliver Cheatham – Get Down Saturday Night
The new generation will recognise this one as part of Room 5’s chunky chart-topping update ‘Make Luv’ from 2003. The original from 20 years earlier is a laid back, funky Detroit classic backed by fellow Motor City stars Al Hudson and One Way. Still a party favourite in its own right.

4. David Bendeth – Feel The Real
From a career with the house band at London’s famed Speakeasy club and on tour as a musician with Billy Cobham, Lenny White and more, Bendeth scored this solo blue-eyed boogie club hit in 1980 before beginning an illustrious career as a U.S. record label A&R; executive at Columbia International and BMG Canada.

5. Fat Larry’s Band – Act Like You Know
Ex-Delfonics and Blue Magic musician “Fat” Larry James formed his Band in 1977 and, although 1982’s ‘Zoom’ stands as the band’s commercial zenith, ‘Act Like You Know’ from the same year is their enduring club favourite with an arrangement lifted wholesale from The Whatnauts’ ‘Help Is On The Way’. James died prematurely in 1987, aged 38.

6. David Joseph – You Can’t Hide (Your Love) (Larry Levan mix)
The man from pioneering Brit-funk band Hi-Tension (he wrote their hits ‘Hi-Tension’ and ‘British Hustle’) made his mark straight away as a solo artist with this, his debut for Island in ’82. Joseph’s original funky squelch-synths received a dry, stripped back mix on the U.S. 12” by legendary New York DJ Larry Levan.

7. Joyce Sims – All & All
From writing songs during time off from her job at a hamburger bar, Joyce Sims was given her big chance by Sleeping Bag Records in 1986. She found her perfect musical spar in the form of seminal producer Kurtis Mantronik – here’s her debut, a masterpiece of raw, stuttering electro-soul which kick-started a short succession of late ‘80s hits.

8. Tyrone Brunson – The Smurf
Brunson had been a veteran of the Washington DC funk scene with bands like Family and Osiris before trying his hand with this terrific instrumental slice of synth-heavy electro-funk in 1982, soundtracking New York’s electric boogie ‘smurf’ dance craze as B Boy culture began to take hold.

9. Dhar Braxton - Jump Back (Set Me Free)
Another defining electro-soul classic from the Sleeping Bag label stable from ’85 as Brooklyn vocalist Dhar Braxton gives her man a serious dressing down. It featured an illustrious backroom team too including edit king Jose “Chep” Nunez and Robert Clivilles, later of Clivilles & Cole fame.

10. Royalle Delite – (I’ll Be A) Freak For You
Something of a boogie rare groove on Lonnie Johnson’s tiny Skyview label before the man behind the UK’s seminal Streetsounds compilation series, Morgan Khan, picked it up for wider release in 1984. A good thing too – this is a fantastic piece of lo-tech freakery that has had soulboys in a lather ever since.

11. Class Action feat. Chris Wiltshire – Weekend
The original 1978 Patrick Adams and Leroy Burgess-produced version as Phreek inspired this tighter, more dancefloor friendly treatment in ’81 by Adams and producer Chris Wiltshire, who had previously collaborated with Adams’ ‘Musique II’ album for Prelude. Since then, the track has surfaced regularly as a club staple, covered most famously by Todd Terry Project.

12. D Train – Keep On
The club sleeper from Brooklyn high school friends James “D Train” Williams and musician / producer Hubert Eaves III, this one was a huge boogie soul anthem on dancefloors in ’83 courtesy of a monster 9-minute Francois Kevorkian club mix and an equally effective dub which was also pressed up for DJs. ‘80s synth soul at its finest.

13. Rick Holmes – Remember To Remember
One of several cracking side projects recorded during the ‘80s under the expert eye of Roy Ayers on his own Uno Melodic label. This one grooves on a mellow soul bump as Rick quotes some of the greats of black music and politics. Most recently sampled by Joey Negro’s Sunburst Band.

14. Hi-Gloss – You’ll Never Know
Dreamt up by Prelude Records producer Juliano Salerni, this studio project from ’81 boasted a bevy of backroom big names including vocalists Luther Vandross and Ullanda McCullough and top bassist Timmy Allen. The ultimate reposte to a guy who’s blown it, this mellow anthem was even covered by, er… Shakatak.

CD 2

1. Cheryl Lynn - Encore
From getting her big break on TV talent contest The Gong Show and touring with a live production of The Wiz, Cheryl Lynn went solo in style during ‘78, scoring a huge club hit with her debut single, ‘Got To Be Real. With ‘Encore’ in ’84, new boy producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis exploded onto dancefloors with this epic anthem, still an end-of-night classic.

2. Shalamar – Take That To The Bank
Soon after SOLAR Records boss Dick Griffey had plucked three dancers (Jody Watley, Jeffrey Daniels and Gerald Brown) from his TV show Soul Train to front Shalamar, this Leon Sylvers III-produced chugger hit the UK top 20. Singer Howard Hewitt replaced Brown soon after this one to form the group’s best-known line-up.

3. The Whispers – It’s A Love Thing
Another joyous soul-boogie classic from the SOLAR Records roster. The Whispers had been recording like trojans since way back in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and finally cracked the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in the early ‘80s as their slick harmonies, tight dance steps and sharp-dressed style married perfectly with Leon Sylvers’ production.

4. Cameo – Single Life
Cameo leadman Larry Blackmon’s tall hair, gaucho ‘tache and flamboyant wardrobe is an enduring image of ‘80s music. From early days aping George Clinton, Cameo’s heavy digital funk sound became a unique fixture of the time – here’s one of the best from ’85 with Larry on the prowl: “just like a car, I’ll drive you out of your mind…”

5. Gwen Guthrie – Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent
Guthrie enjoyed a prolific career as a session singer for Aretha, Roberta Flack and more during the ‘70s. Solo, she is perhaps best known for her dubby Island Records classics ‘Hopscotch’ and ‘Padlock’ and, of course, this huge crossover smash. Everyone was singing “You gotta have a J.O.B. if you wanna be with me” in 1986.

6. Plunky & The Oneness Of Juju – Every Way But Loose
A band with an illustrious history. Saxman and bandleader J. Plunky Branch had been a black activist and a fixture on the free jazz circuit in the early ‘70s before settling into Oneness’ mid-‘70s spiritual funk groove. This one was a later dancefloor anthem from ‘82 which was also received a sparse Larry Levan mix.

7. Crown Heights Affair – Far Out
Named after the Crown Heights district of Brooklyn, the Affair were a soul / funk powerhouse with a series of driving dancefloor tracks based around no nonsense funk and synth-led grooves that were way ahead of their time. This stomper was penned by the group’s talented Reid brothers, Bert and Ray - Ray sadly passed away in December 2004.

8. Dinosaur L - Go Bang! (Francois K mix)
An avant-garde, free dance classic from the genius mind of cellist Arthur Russell featuring the dynamite Ingram rhythm section which originally formed part of a medley within his sprawling ’24-24 Music’ masterpiece from ‘79. This later edit from Francois Kevorkian created a more structured, tighter edit for the dancefloor.

9. Roy Ayers – Running Away
A classic jazz-funk anthem which originally appeared on the master vibesman’s ‘Lifeline’ album co-produced by Ubiquity regular Edwin Birdsong, ‘Running Away’ became a huge club hit on release in 1977, hitting the US R&B; top 20. We feature here a version recorded for Roy’s own Uno Melodic label in around ‘82. Still an instant party-starter wherever it is played.

10. Imagination – Just An Illusion
Imagination and lead singer Leee John were a regular fixture in club and pop charts across Europe in the ‘70s and ‘80s – John even had his own UK TV chat show at one point. This one was a massive crossover hit in ’82 produced by Tony Swain and Steve Jolley with its memorable bendy synth line, shifting over a million copies in all.

11. Eighties Ladies – Turned On To You
A one-off low budget album project produced by Roy Ayers for his Uno Melodic label in 1980, this one featured Ayers’ session singer Sylvia Striplin out front alongside Vivian D. Prince, Denie Corbett and Marva Hicks. An enduring sparkly sweet soul groover.

12. Sylvia Striplin – You Can’t Turn Me Away
And here’s Sylvia herself going solo a year on from the Eighties Ladies album, also produced by Roy Ayers. Striplin had previously sung with disco act Aquarian Dream before signing to Uno Melodic and scoring a US R&B; No. 2 with this one in ’82. Hip hop fans will spot the squidgy groove on as the sample on Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Get Money’.

13. Billy Griffin – Hold Me Tighter In The Rain
Griffin had the tough job of replacing Smokey Robinson in front of The Miracles (you can hear him on ‘Love Machine’) before going solo in ’82. ‘Hold Me Tighter…’ did the trick, showcasing his falsetto to great effect and scoring one of the club smashes of the year. More recently, he has worked behind the scenes with Take That, Gerald Allbright and more.

14. Lonnie Hill – Galveston Bay
We end with a classic smooth stepper from Denver’s tiny Urban Sound label in 1984 by gospel singer and guitarist Lonnie Hill. It later brushed the UK top 75 via a release on Virgin’s Ten offshoot and the accompanying ‘You Got Me Running’ album featured backing vocals by the legendary Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind & Fire. A sunshine classic.